The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-03-04

rounded the yard. She and the horseman
reached opposite sides of the fence at the same
moment
my prayers are answered. she said, not
waiting for him to speak. You're Methodist
preacher, an have come TO FIX preachia place.
You're welcome assam angel from heaven.
Light, an come in"
You're welcome warns my heart. sister, re-
piled the horseman, dsnounting and grasping
her extended hand am Methodist preacher.
Nv name is Edward Dorsey. / am recently from
the Kentucky Conference, and for the remainder
of this year will act kind of missionary
among the scattered people of this part of the
State"
Lishe came upon the scene in time to hear the
| conversation, and grasping the preachers hand,
| said
''An you're frum Kaintucky. air you? Well,
| this is a Kaintucky neighborhood Yes sab;
| nearly all kaintuckians. I'm from Virginny.
| though; bawn an raised in ole Fauquier county,
| Virginny | learnt my trade thar I'm ceyar-
! penter. Yes, sab; ce-yarpenter l helped
| build the cote house at Warrenton. an with my
own ham put the finishin' teches on the cupalo.
an when I'd struck the las lick. l elm up an
| stood on one foot in the forks nv the lightnin
| rod an hilt a jack plane in one haE' an foot
| down below. Yes sab; did sho'. Go set down
| with the woman. I'll take care nv yer critter.'
| Brother Dorsey tall young man with a
rough, strong face He had very peculiar
mouth 1t was unusually large and prominent
| His teeth, which were long and white. looked as
| If they had been designed for much smaller jaws
| and. being too beautiful and strong to be cast
aside, had been made to do by setting them at
| considerable distances from each other.
He good singer and knew many songs
| the Bankers had never heard and he sang them
and talked of the future of the church at Carriers
| Landing.
Have you any children, sister, asked Broth
| er Dorsey.
only one." she replied. "He's not yer now
He's extra ordinary boy. I want him to
| all he kin Of you while you stay for I've got my
| n maj
Punkin came shortly afterwards. He had
| been playing along the river, and was bedaubed
/ from head to foot with mud. His mother tried
| to smuggle him in, but he would not permit it.
| He broke away from her, and walked twice
| slowly around Brother Dorsey. scrutinizing him
| closely and paying no attention whatever to
Lishes Cant you tell the preacher howdyP nor
| to Brother Dorsey's twice repeated greeting,
| How do you do, my song When he consented
to go with her she said apologetically: Hes
been a-ishin' an is mighty tired He likes to
| be about the river, an L p1 GLAD of It, he took
| His apostles from among fishermen, an He may
| take my boy"
'You have school in the nsighborhood|
| Zone quarter last winter, an we'll have an
| other next winter"
| Your son attends, does he?"
| "Well-no. You see Elder hes weakly I'm
| all the time anxious about him. can't find out
| egsacly what's the matter with him. Sometimes
| | think hits his heart. and then hits his back
bone and then hits his liver an that he's gttin
| the yaller janders, an so / keep worryin about
! him. | sent him wunst, in Kaintucky, when he
was about eight yer old, hut the master didn't
understand him at all. He only staid half
hour, an l couldn't make him go back. From
| what the master seen of him, though, he toe
me he bleved, if he could keep him in school
| long enough. he'd make first-rate speller."
| You have taught him at home supposed"
| Eyes, indeed, all darst You see hit won't
do to push him. His minds too strong for his
| body. l thought I'd learn him to say the ten
| commandments by heart but, bless you, he got
1 co fova rch AMI ocfiQ IN ha fpSt mi
had to quit. Such wonderful questions he
asst He's deep Elder l tried to git him to
understand that God could see him wherever he
| was an when I tole him He could, he whistled
| once long and loud, an then cut for the woods.
| He never 'yerd me call him wunst, an reckon
| l called him ten times afore he was out O hearin.
| He's always thinkln. don't b'lieve theirs
| other SIGH mind in Indiany.h
As the darkness came and night settled quietly
down upon that cluster of cabins in the forest,
| Brother Dorsey sat without the door and sang.
| He had others than the Bankers in his audience.
| just beyond his line of vision, In the deeper
| shadows of the towering trees, were the old and
| young of the settlement in GREATNESS eagerness
! to catch every tone and word.
| In the morning, after having accompanied
| Lishe the early run" for fish, and partaken
of breakfast, Brother Dorsey left them with the
promise to return on the next Sunday and
preach at IL in the morning and at early candle
lighting" in the evening
The evening of the next day Lishs sat on the
bench in front OF the blacksmith shop. As
usual, a half dozen men and boys gathered
about him. 1t was known that he and Brother
Dorsey did not catch any fish, and considerable
curiosity was manifested to know the reason
Lishes face showed that he had something TO
tell, and, instead Of asking him questions, they
pretended to account for his i'll luck by saying
the wind was wrong he did not have the right
kind of frogs, and the like
81 own up, gentlemen" began Lishe, II wuz
clean beat out. Yes, sab. you know | know how
to fish. I've throwed 10 right nongside nv a
an cotch EN-. I've fshed wen it wuz thunderin'
an lightnin' an cotch 'em. They didn't egsacly
bite yestddy. No, sab. we didn't git fin"
"Did any Nv you ever sing right loud an
purity, wen you wuz ishin!"
They did not RENE mber that they had.
well, now I'll tell you how it WIZ"
That the reader may enjoy Lishe's story it
is necessary to describe the most popular mode
of fishing at Carriers Landing, in those days.
'"The fisherman provided himself with a num-
Der of pieces of light, dry wood perhaps foot
long and six inches thick. To each of these he
fastened a strong line of sufficient length to
reach the bottom of the river They would take
these ''bobs." as they called them. in their boats
and row up the river the desired distance. They
then baited with live frogs, and cast the hobs
overheard, and let them go with the current,
they following in their boat. When fish was
hooked, the motion Of the hobswoud indicate it,
and the fisherman would take in his fish, put on
another frog. and cast the bob overheard again.
''You see," continued Lishe. ''the preacher
f come unexpected. an we he'd no bacon, an nothin
but the settin' hens. an we he'd to hev meat. The
preacher seed me gittn ready the night afore
an wanted to glong. We got a airly start, an
as soon as we got on the river | axed him tt
t sing. He sung, an rowe:! tell we wuz clear VI
Q 'bove the island. l tied up to a snag an baited
e tell you he'd the liyeliest lot Nv frogs 1 ever
= seed Yes, sab.
a 1.-THE las time I'd been up "a cotch q twenty
FOUNDER an thinks I, I'll make the Elders eyes
bug out / throw'd out the bobs an tole him I'd
r do the rowin an he might take in the fish. Their
9 1 axed him to sing Low Down in that Beautiful
t Valley He wuz enjoyin' hisself an didn't wal
r to be aXed twice but cut loose